Please note that lunch will be provided in the room for those attending this session.

Increasing vessel size has been a dominant feature of the maritime transport sector over the last decades, driven by the search of economies of scale by shipping companies. During the last decade, the average capacity of container ships has doubled; the largest container ships now carry over 19,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units), and 22,000 TEU-ships are expected to come into operation in the near future. While increases in the size of ships have helped to reduce maritime transport costs and thus enhance trade, larger ships require adaptations in port terminals and have impacts on maritime transport port networks and port hinterland transport. As many container lines have ordered new mega-ships in order to remain competitive, the impacts of mega-ships will intensify at a rapid pace in the near future.

Considering the emergence of mega-ships, this session will consider:

• What are the benefits of mega-ships? Do they outweigh the adjustment costs and societal costs?
• What are the attributes of the ports that will handle mega-ships of the future?
• What are policy responses to address the impacts of mega-ships?